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Atriplex canescens

(Pursh) Nutt. (1818)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Genus: Atriplex

fourwing saltbush, shad scale

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Shrubs, mainly 8–20 dm, as wide or wider, not especially armed.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades linear to oblanceolate, oblong, or obovate, mainly 10–40 mm long × 3–8 mm wide. Apex retuse to obtuse. Margins entire. Sessile or nearly sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Staminate flowers yellow (rarely brown), in clusters 2–3 mm wide, borne in panicles 3–15 cm; pistillate flowers borne in panicles 5–40 cm. Flowers unisexual, dioecious or rarely monoecious. Calyx of staminate flower 3–5 lobed; lobes oblong to obovate. Calyx of pistillate flowers absent, rarely present and 3–5-lobed, membranous. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 3–5 in staminate flowers, inserted on calyx at base; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits; Stamens absent in pistillate flowers. Ovary superior (pistillate flowers), 1-celled, placentation basal; ovule 1; stigmas 2, filiform, dry.

Fruit: Fruiting bracteoles 8–25 mm; as wide; on stipes 1–8 mm; with 4 prominent wings extending the bract length; united throughout; wings dentate to entire; apex toothed; surface of wings and body smooth or reticulate. Seeds 1 per fruit; 1.5–2.5 mm wide.

Ploidy: 2n = 18; 36+

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Molokai Only found in cultivation
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 197 (1818)

Other References

Staples et al. 2003:10 (NEWNAT/H, DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Atriplex canescens USDA Plant Materials Center; dryland grass and legume trial; field 7B; row 3; plot 14; HA-4675; source: Tucson PMC Preserved_Specimen 6' tall shrub; stems gray-green to tan; lvs silvery above, green below; flrs white, abundant in spikes. Evans, M. 117 Molokai BISH 1990-07-13
2 Atriplex canescens USDA Plant Materials Center. Dryland grass and legume trial; field 7B; row 3; plot 2; HA-4315 Preserved_Specimen Medium-sized shrub; moderately thick; 4' tall; stems gray-green; lvs gray-green. No disease or insect problems noted. Evans, M. 110 Molokai BISH 1990-07-13
3 Atriplex canescens USDA Plant Materials Center; dryland grass and legume trial, field 7B; row 3; plot 1; HA-4302; source: Los Lunas PMC; New Mexico Preserved_Specimen Upright; spreading shrub forming a dense thicket; 7-8' tall; stems gray-green. Leaves gray-green; roughly pubescent. Flowers borne on terminal and axillary branches. Little or no disease or insect problems noted. Evans, M. 109 Molokai BISH 1990-07-12
4 Atriplex canescens Mauna Kea, NE of Puu Laau, S of turnoff to Puu Nanaha Preserved_Specimen 1.5 m tall, many-branched shrub Warshauer, F.R. 5114 Hawaii BISH 2000-04-01
5 Atriplex canescens Western slope of Mauna Kea, ca 0.8 mi above Puu Laau cabin just off dirt road on right side (going uphill) Open mamane/naio subalpine forest on rocky soil along with Holcus lanatus, Hypochoeris, Rumex acetosella. Preserved_Specimen Spreading, thick, bushy shrub 5 ft. tall, 7 ft. wide, many-branching from basal stems, interior stems leafless. Imada, C. 200023 Hawaii BISH 2000-10-21
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